Gambling Commission chief on putting punters first using art of collaboration

Speaking softly and carrying a big stick is the favoured approach of Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur.

The perilous situation facing the gambling industry is that if it does not make rapid progress towards meeting his expectations in reducing gambling-related harm, it looks as if being stick rather than words for the foreseeable future.

The threat of draconian action hangs heavy over the sector. According to McArthur these are dangerous times for the industry, which has been at the centre of a media storm that appears unabating, the outcry over scantily-clad models being used to promote gambling companies at this week's Ice London conference being the latest example.